Channel 5 news reports live about Florida’s Pain Medicine Addiction and Detox from http://www.sunrisedetox.com
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Am I an Addict?
This is NA Fellowship-approved literature.
Copyright © 1983, 1988 by
Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Only you can answer this question.
This may not be an easy thing to do. All through our usage, we told ourselves, “I can handle
it.” Even if this was true in the beginning, it is not so now. The drugs handled us. We lived to
use and used to live. Very simply, an addict is a person whose life is controlled by drugs.
Perhaps you admit you have a problem with drugs, but you don’t consider yourself an addict.
All of us have preconceived ideas about what an addict is. There is nothing shameful about being
an addict once you begin to take positive action. If you can identify with our problems, you may
be able to identify with our solution. The following questions were written by recovering addicts
in Narcotics Anonymous. If you have doubts about whether or not you’re an addict, take a few
moments to read the questions below and answer them as honestly as you can.
1. Do you ever use alone? Yes ? No ?
2. Have you ever substituted one drug for another, thinking that
one particular drug was the problem? Yes ? No ?
3. Have you ever manipulated or lied to a doctor
to obtain prescription drugs? Yes ? No ?
4. Have you ever stolen drugs or stolen to obtain drugs? Yes ? No ?
5. Do you regularly use a drug when you wake up or when you go to bed? Yes ? No ?
6. Have you ever taken one drug to overcome the effects of another? Yes ? No ?
7. Do you avoid people or places that do not approve of you using drugs? Yes ? No ?
8. Have you ever used a drug without knowing what it was?
or what it would do to you? Yes ? No ?
9. Has your job or school performance ever suffered
from the effects of your drug use? Yes ? No ?
10. Have you ever been arrested as a result of using drugs? Yes ? No ?
11. Have you ever lied about what or how much you use? Yes ? No ?
12. Do you put the purchase of drugs ahead of
your financial responsibilities? Yes ? No ?
13. Have you ever tried to stop or control your using? Yes ? No ?
14. Have you ever been in a jail, hospital,
or drug rehabilitation center because of your using? Yes ? No ?
15. Does using interfere with your sleeping or eating? Yes ? No ?
16. Does the thought of running out of drugs terrify you? Yes ? No ?
17. Do you feel it is impossible for you to live without drugs? Yes ? No ?
18. Do you ever question your own sanity? Yes ? No ?
19. Is your drug use making life at home unhappy? Yes ? No ?
20. Have you ever thought you couldn’t fit in or have a good time
without drugs? Yes ? No ?
21. Have you ever felt defensive, guilty, or ashamed about your using? Yes ? No ?
22. Do you think a lot about drugs? Yes ? No ?
23. Have you had irrational or indefinable fears? Yes ? No ?
24. Has using affected your sexual relationships? Yes ? No ?
25. Have you ever taken drugs you didn’t prefer? Yes ? No ?
26. Have you ever used drugs because of emotional pain or stress? Yes ? No?
27. Have you ever overdosed on any drugs? Yes ? No ?
28. Do you continue to use despite negative consequences? Yes ? No ?
29. Do you think you might have a drug problem? Yes ? No ?
“Am I an addict?” This is a question only you can answer. We found that we all answered
different numbers of these questions “Yes.” The actual number of “Yes” responses wasn’t as
important as how we felt inside and how addiction had affected our lives.
Some of these questions don’t even mention drugs. This is because addiction is an insidious
disease that affects all areas of our lives—even those areas which seem at first to have little to do
with drugs. The different drugs we used were not as important as why we used them and what
they did to us.
When we first read these questions, it was frightening for us to think we might be addicts.
Some of us tried to dismiss these thoughts by saying:
“Oh, those questions don’t make sense;”
Or,
“I’m different. I know I take drugs, but I’m not an addict. I have real emotional/family/job
problems;”
Or,
“I’m just having a tough time getting it together right now;”
Or,
“I’ll be able to stop when I find the right person/get the right job, etc.”
If you are an addict, you must first admit that you have a problem with drugs before any
progress can be made toward recovery. These questions, when honestly approached, may help
to show you how using drugs has made your life unmanageable. Addiction is a disease which,
without recovery, ends in jails, institutions, and death. Many of us came to Narcotics
Anonymous because drugs had stopped doing what we needed them to do. Addiction takes
our pride, self-esteem, family, loved ones, and even our desire to live. If you have not reached
this point in your addiction, you don’t have to. We have found that our own private hell was
within us. If you want help, you can find it in the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous.
“We were searching for an answer when we reached out and found Narcotics Anonymous.
We came to our first NA meeting in defeat and didn’t know what to expect. After sitting in a
meeting, or several meetings, we began to feel that people cared and were willing to help.
Although our minds told us that we would never make it, the people in the fellowship gave us
hope by insisting that we could recover. […] Surrounded by fellow addicts, we realized that we
were not alone anymore. Recovery is what happens in our meetings. Our lives are at stake. We
found that by putting recovery first, the program works. We faced three disturbing realizations:
1. We are powerless over addiction and our lives are unmanageable;
2. Although we are not responsible for our disease, we are responsible for our recovery;
3. We can no longer blame people, places, and things for our addiction. We must face our
problems and our feelings.
The ultimate weapon for recovery is the recovering addict.”
Tags: addict, addiction, addiction recovery, addicts, drug abuse, drug addict, Drug Addiction, drug user, drugs, recovery
One of the first and most difficult steps that any person faces when entering a drug or alcohol rehabilitation center is detoxification – the medical process of riding the body of the toxins it has stored during years or decades of drug or alcohol abuse. This process can be devastating from both a psychological and physical standpoint, which is why people who enter an alcohol or drug rehab program often will need detox in order to get through the painful withdrawal symptoms that otherwise might lead them to give up on the idea of quitting.
Detox at an addiction center can take days or even weeks, depending on what the person was abusing, how much they were using and for how long. However, just because a person has completed medical detox doesn’t mean that they are through with their rehab program. In fact, detox is just one small step in the larger process of freedom from drug and alcohol dependency.
When a person becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, they aren’t just addicted to the substance they are abusing – they become addicted to the flood of pleasurable stimuli that the substance provides to them. No drug rehab program can be successful without changing the mindset of a person and helping them to understand how their addiction has changed them and what they need to do to move forward.
In addition to the lessons about moving forward that are taught at a rehab center, addicts also must address the root causes of their addiction. The majority of addicts start abusing drugs or alcohol because of other factors such as genetics, unhappy childhoods or unstable current lives. Without addressing these underlying factors, most people will eventually fall right back into their patterns of addiction and dependence.
For all of these reasons, it’s important to do more than just “get dry” when trying to quit drinking. Long-term abstinence requires a total rehab program that addresses every aspect of the drug or alcohol addiction.
By Sarah Michaels
Tags: addict, addiction, addiction recovery, addiction recovery centers, addicts, alcoholic rehabilitation center, dependent on drugs, detoc recovery, drug abuse, drug addict, Drug Addiction, drug withdrawal, drugs, inpatient detox, medical detox, withdrawal
The main reason for the increasing number of addicts that need treatment for prescription drugs in Florida is the rampant abuse of prescription drugs. The lack of a system to check who’s being prescribed what is making the problem worse. The patients who take certain drugs over a longer period of time also get addicted to them. Apart from these patients with long-term exposure to a drug, there are others who buy and consume prescription drugs illegally and suffer from drug addiction.
People looking for treatment for prescription drugs in Florida are basically addicted to three categories of drugs. The first types of drugs are opiates. They are taken to relieve pain. Codeine, Demerol, Dilaudid, Morphine and Vicodine are some of the commonly prescribed drugs under this category. Anyone taking these medicines over a longer period of time can easily get addicted and treatment for addiction is necessary, especially in the initial stage of withdrawal. The second category of drugs is CNS depressants. It can be divided into two sub-categories – barbiturates and benzodiazepines. Nembutal and Mebaral come under barbiturates and are given to people suffering from anxiety and sleep disorder. Halcion, Librium, Valium and Xanax come under benzodiazepines and are taken for panic attacks and anxiety. Stimulants belong to the third category. Ritalin and Dexedrine are examples of the Stimulants that are commonly used today. They are provided to stimulate the brain in order to make a person more agile and active. Treatment for prescription drugs should immediately the initiated once the addiction is detected.
Treatment for prescription drugs in Florida involves inpatient therapy, outpatient therapy and group therapy. The inpatient treatment requires patient to be admitted to a detox treatment facility. The patients are carefully examined by physicians and taken off of their particular drugs safely and securely. The whole procedure may take 7 to 10 days. After the detox treatment is complete patients are referred to counselor who then makes further arrangements for individual and group therapy. They are subjected to number of educational lectures and group discussions in order to make them understand the drug addiction and its consequences. This helps them to rehabilitate successfully. In the outpatient program patients are treated through various interventions that include detox treatment, massage therapy, acupuncture sessions and hydro-therapy. Patients are required to visit the treatment facility from time to time in order to be examined and to determine the extent of their addiction and the progress of their individual treatment plan. Patients are also encouraged to take part in various recreational activities like swimming, running, exercising, playing outdoor games and others that are provided at the treatment facility. In group therapy patients are encouraged to participate in meetings that are designed to educate them about Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) programs. Emphasis is laid on social interaction as most take to drug addiction because of the feeling of loneliness.
Treatment for prescription drugs in Florida is based upon the philosophy that every individual is important and unique and should be treated with distinction and respect. The main purpose of the treatment is to help the individual to become healthier and lead a drug free life.
By Gen Wright
Tags: addict, addiction, addiction recovery, addiction recovery centers, addicts, chemically dependent, dependent on drugs, drug abuse, drug addict, Drug Addiction, drug user, drugs, inpatient detox
Not long after attending my first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous I began to hear people using the phrase Higher Power and even talking about God. This was one of the things that kept me skeptical about AA. I had always had a hard time relating to God and I was petrified that I couldn’t stay off drugs and alcohol because of my aversion to organized religion. Luckily I obtained a temporary sponsor at my very first meeting and after a few months of going to AA meetings regularly I finally told her about my dilemma. It was explained to me that Alcoholics Anonymous was not a religious program and that I did not have to believe in anyone else’s concept of God. That put me at ease for a while but I kept hearing people sharing in meetings about their Higher Power and I was still confused and apprehensive.
When the time came that I began to go through the twelve steps I had been clean and sober for over three months and still felt disconnected from God. The first step was to admit that I was powerless over drugs and alcohol and that my life had become unmanageable, which was easy for me. However the second step was no easy feat, “We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” I went over and over the words in my head and tried to think what it meant to me and how I could relate to this concept of a power greater than myself. My sponsor told me that she had a similar experience when she was a newcomer and that all that I needed at that time was to believe that there was something in the universe that was more powerful than me. I had heard of people using the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous as their Higher Power because they felt that the group was more powerful than they were alone. That idea made sense to me and for the time being it would suffice. I was hopeful that in time my relationship to God would blossom and develop as was the experience of others in AA.
Tags: addict, addiction, addiction recovery, alcohol, alcohol free life, alcoholic, alcoholics anonymous, drug abuse, drug addict, Drug Addiction, drugs, help for addiction, recovery, sobriety
When I first began using pain medicine it was innocent enough, I had a back injury from a car accident and was prescribed Vicodin by my physician. I had 2 herniated discs and the first few months after my accident I was in almost constant pain and needed the pain killers in order to function. I was going to work everyday and performing to the best of my ability. I was also still leading a very active social life but I began to feel the need for more and more pain medication. My descent into addiction was quick and began when I found myself taking more medicine than I was prescribed. I was supposed to take three pills a day, as needed for the pain, and I can still remember the first time I took an extra dose of Vicodin and thinking to myself that it might not be a good idea.
I began to run out of my prescriptions early and be left with nothing to treat the very real pain that I still had plus the drug habit that was growing. I would go to the pharmacy and make up all kinds of stories to tell the pharmacist in order for him to fill my medications early. At that point I knew that I had a drug problem and that I might be a drug addict, but I was not ready to quit. I continued to use for three miserable years until I finally had enough. I was waking up sick every morning and needed to swallow up to ten pain killers in order to get myself out of bed. When I was ready I knew that I had to go to a medical inpatient detox and come off of the prescription medication slowly. I never thought that I would be able to stop using drugs and now I am in recovery and loving life again!
Tags: addict, addiction, addiction recovery, dependent on drugs, detoc recovery, Detox Recovery, drug abuse, drug addict, Drug Addiction, drug user, drug withdrawal, drugs, inpatient detox, medical detox, withdrawal
What causes drug abuse and addiction?
What makes one person abuse drugs to the point of losing their home, their family and their job, while another does not? There is no one simple reason. Drug abuse and addiction is due to many factors. A powerful force in addiction is the inability to self- soothe or get relief from untreated mental or physical pain. Without the self-resilience and support to handle stress, loneliness or depression, drugs can be a tempting way to deal with the situation. Unfortunately, due to the changes drugs make to the brain, it can only take a few times or even one time to be on the road to addiction. Some other risk factors include:
- Family history of addiction. While the interplay between genetics and environment is not entirely clear, if you have a family history of addiction, you are at higher risk for abusing drugs.
- History of mental illness. Drug abuse can worsen mental illness or even create new symptoms. See dual diagnosis for more information on mental illness and drug abuse.
- Untreated physical pain. Without medical supervision, pain medications or illegal drugs like heroin can rapidly become addictive.
- Peer pressure. If people around you are doing drugs, it can be difficult to resist the pressure to try them, especially if you are a teenager.
Signs and symptoms of drug abuse & addiction
How can I tell if a loved one has a problem with drugs?
Although different drugs may have different effects on overall physical and mental health, the basic pattern is the same. Getting and using the drug becomes more and more important than anything else, including job, friends and family. The physical and emotional consequences of drug abuse and addiction also make it difficult to function, often impairing judgment to a dangerous level.
Physical signs of abuse and addiction
Drug abuse affects the brain and body directly. While high, the drug affects the entire body, from blood pressure to heart rate. Stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine “amp up” the body, increasing blood pressure, metabolism and reducing the ability to sleep. Drugs like opiates and barbiturates slow down the body, reducing blood pressure, breathing and alertness sometimes to dangerous levels. Some physical signs of abuse and addiction include:
- Cycles of increased energy, restlessness, and inability to sleep (often seen in stimulants)
- Abnormally slow movements, speech or reaction time, confusion and disorientation (often seen in opiates, benzodiazepines and barbiturates)
- Sudden weight loss or weight gain
- Cycles of excessive sleep
- Unexpected changes in clothing, such as constantly wearing long sleeved shirts, to hide scarring at injection sites
- Suspected drug paraphernalia such as unexplained pipes, roach clips or syringes
- For snorted drugs, chronic troubles with sinusitis or nosebleeds
- For smoked drugs, a persistent cough or bronchitis, leading to coughing up excessive mucus or blood.
- Progressive severe dental problems (especially with methamphetamine)
Tolerance and withdrawal
Most abused drugs are not only mentally addictive but physically addictive as well. Tolerance is built up to the drug. More and more of the drug is needed to achieve the desired effect. As the body physically adjusts to the drug, trying to cut down or stop is unpleasant or even painful. These withdrawal symptoms, depending on the drug, can include shakes, chills, severe aches and pains, difficulty sleeping, agitation, depression, and even hallucinations or psychosis. Avoiding withdrawal adds to the urgency of keeping up drug abuse and increases drug dependence.
Mental and emotional signs of abuse and addiction
Abuse and addiction also affect mood, as drugs are abused for the temporary good feelings they provide. These feelings can vary depending on the drug used. Some mental and emotional signs include:
- Cycles of being unusually talkative, “up” and cheerful, with seemingly boundless energy.
- Increased irritability, agitation and anger
- Unusual calmness, unresponsiveness or looking “spaced out”
- Apathy and depression
- Paranoia, delusions
- Temporary psychosis, hallucinations
- Lowered threshold for violence
Tags: addict, addiction, addiction recovery, addicts, alcoholism, dependent on drugs, drug abuse, drug addict, Drug Addiction, drug withdrawal, drugs, dual diagnosis treatment, help for addiction, recovery, withdrawal
Drug or alcohol addiction meets two criteria:
- You have difficulty controlling how much you use or how long you use. For example, one painkiller leads to more pills, or one line of cocaine leads to more.
- You continue to use even though it has negative consequences to your life. For example, you continue to drink even though it has hurt your relationships.
Those two criteria define all addictions. They are true for alcohol and drug addiction, but they’re also true for gambling addiction, eating disorders, and sexual addiction.
There are different levels of addictions. At one end of the spectrum is the non-functioning addict. They’ve lost their job and have to use everyday. It’s what people think addiction is like, but that stereotype is rare.
At the other end of the spectrum is the functioning addict. They still have a job and their relationships are relatively intact, but their life is suffering because of their addiction. That is the most common scenario. You don’t have to suffer major losses to have an addiction.
The consequences of addiction get worse over time. Addiction is a progressive disease. It’s never easy to quit. But if you’ve already suffered negative consequences and don’t want them to get worse, there’s never a better time to quit than now.
The Role of Family History
Addiction is due 50 percent to genetic predisposition and 50 percent to poor coping skills. This has been confirmed by numerous studies. One study looked at 861 identical twin pairs and 653 fraternal (non-identical) twin pairs. When one identical twin was addicted to alcohol, the other twin had a high probability of being addicted. But when one non-identical twin was addicted to alcohol, the other twin did not necessarily have an addiction. Based on the differences between the identical and non-identical twins, the study showed 50-60% of addiction is due to genetic factors. Those numbers have been confirmed by other studies.
The children of addicts are 8 times more likely to develop an addiction. One study looked at 231 people who were diagnosed with drug or alcohol addiction, and compared them to 61 people who did not have an addiction. Then it looked at the first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, or children) of those people. It discovered that if a parent has a drug or alcohol addiction, the child had an 8 times greater chance of developing an addiction.
Why are there genes for addiction? We all have the genetic predisposition for addiction because there is an evolutionary advantage to that. When an animal eats a certain food that it likes, there is an advantage to associating pleasure with that food so that the animal will look for that food in the future. In other words the potential for addiction is hardwired into our brain. Everyone has eaten too much of their favorite food even though they knew it wasn’t good for them.
Although everyone has the potential for addiction, some people are more predisposed to addiction than others. Some people drink alcoholically from the beginning. Other people start out as a moderate drinker and then become alcoholics later on. How does that happen?
Repeatedly abusing pain medicine or alcohol permanently rewires your brain. If you start out with a low genetic predisposition for addiction, you can still end up with an addiction. If you repeatedly abuse drugs or alcohol because of poor coping skills, then you’ll permanently rewire your brain. Every time you abuse alcohol, you’ll strengthen the wiring associated with drinking, and you’ll chase that buzz even more. The more you chase the effect of alcohol, the greater your chance of eventually developing an addiction.
Your genes are not your destiny. The 50% of addiction that is caused by poor coping skills is where you can make a difference. Lots of people have come from addicted families but managed to overcome their family history and live happy lives. You can use this opportunity to change your life. (Reference: www.AddictionsAndRecovery.org)
If you think that you have a problem with drugs or alcohol visit www.sunrisedetox.com for medical detox services. Sunrise Detox offers the highest quality care with a compassionate and understanding staff that will treat you with respect. They offer a comfortable home like atmosphere in which you can begin the road to recovery. Detox is the first step to recovery from drug addiction so act now and take control of your life.
Tags: addiction, addiction recovery, addicts, alcohol, dependent on drugs, drug abuse, Drug Addiction, drugs, medical detox
Detoxing from alcohol and drugs is something that should be done with medical advice and care, and should be backed up with counseling in order to help the alcoholic get past the psychological dependence as well as the physical dependence on alcohol. The first goal in an alcohol and drug detox program will be to help the person get through the symptoms they will experience from withdrawal, including any psychiatric problems they may experience. This is usually the first step in a total detox program and can be very effective if done under the right circumstances.
Everyone goes through detox differently and what any one individual may go through will depend largely on a person’s age, frequency and amount of use, as well as any underlying medical issues they may have. For the most part, one can expect to experience withdrawal symptoms such a nausea, vomiting, tremors, sweats and anxiety. In extreme cases some people also may have convulsions or seizures. These are just a few of the reasons why it’s important to have proper medical support in order to help with an alcohol and drug detox program. Many of these effects can be lessened with medications and with proper supervision. On the other hand, some people get through it with very few symptoms. There is no way to tell how any one person will react. Supervised detox is always the best approach. It helps knowing that you have support there if you need it.
Once you have gone through the detox part of the program it’s important to realize that this is just the first step. You’ve managed to eliminate alcohol and drugs from your body but there are still steps that need to be done to ensure that you don’t return to drinking or using again. In order to have a complete recovery it’s important to understand that you now will need to make lifestyle changes in order to increase your odds for a sustained recovery. Learning to live without alcohol as a crutch can be very difficult, but the longer-term benefits of a new and happier life are well worth it.
During the first 30-90 days of a detox program is the time when people are most vulnerable. This is why it’s important to effect changes in your lifestyle as well as getting psychological support. Lifestyle changes can mean staying away from friends who are heavy drinkers, and who may not understand what you have gone through and what you are now trying to accomplish. Staying away from bars or other places where alcohol is served, including your home. Your family will be able to understand the need for you to not be around other people who are drinking. It’s also important to understand the meaning of a dry drunk. This is a person who has ceased drinking and eliminated alcohol from their system, but has done nothing to change the emotional aspects of abuse. This is another aspect of how your lifestyle must change. The more you work with a counselor, the more you will understand that it also takes emotional changes in order to remain sober.
Emotional support from friends and family is also crucial when you are going through alcohol detox. Rehab treatment centers that help people detox also provide support for them through counseling or through a 12-step program such as AA. It is important for the alcoholic to take actions to help in their recovery, and going to counseling regularly is a part of that. If you are on medications you need to take them as directed and never stop it without consulting a doctor. It’s also important to include the family of anyone going through alcohol detox, and allow him or her to offer support and help and be a part of the recovery process. In the end though it is up to the alcoholic to do the necessary work to effect a complete recovery, and then take the needed steps to remain in recovery.
Tags: addiction, addiction recovery, addiction recovery centers, alcohol, alcohol free life, Alcohol Rehab, alcohol treatment, alcoholic rehabilitation center, alcoholism, drug abuse, drug addict, drug withdrawal, drugs, recovery, rehab programs, withdrawal
After I went to detox and rehab I was ready for a greeting card life full of rainbows. Of course that is not how it worked out, I still had to deal with life on life’s terms. When I was using drugs I was in a constant state of euphoria and rarely, if ever thought about reality. When I got clean and sober I was forced to see and feel everything set before me and it wasn’t always easy. The first few days out of rehab were especially difficult because I was so fragile and used to living in a controlled environment. In the treatment center mealtime was set by a schedule as was wakeup time and bedtime but in the real world I was responsible for setting these limits for myself. When I was using drugs I would just do whatever I wanted when I felt like it and I certainly didn’t adhere to any type of schedule. There were many things I had to relearn about life when I got off drugs. One of the hardest lessons I had to learn in recovery was that I was not in control of anything or anyone else besides myself- and half of the time I didn’t even feel in control of that either.
Being newly detoxed from drugs my body was still going through PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome). PAWS tends to create in individuals an excess of emotion including hyper activity. Even small events of little consequence may loom large in someone’s mind and create strong (not being able to bond thoughts together) reactions. This may lead others to suspect a relapse or create social withdrawal. Shame emotions may be noted. Conversely, they may notice a numbing of emotions. The inability to feel impairs proper emotional bonding with friends and family during the early recovery process. It also impairs the recovery process itself as the individual struggles with trying to feel the resentments, anger, guilt, shame and other emotions common in recovery. A great resourse to find out more information about addiction and to fill out your own information if you need help is www.painmedaddiction.com. Go to their website and they can help to guide you in the right direction and answer any questions you may have about addiction.
Tags: addiction, addiction recovery centers, addicts, anxiety, cold turkey, drug abuse, drug addict, Drug Addiction, drug withdrawal, drugs, paws, prescription medication, withdrawal
